An overview of Subcontract of Microsoft Business Solutions PartnersTechnology by Stuart Jenkins - September 11, 20210 In the United States, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and Latin America, Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is a widely popular ERP/MRP solution. We want to advise you on Microsoft Great Plains subcontracting standards, based on our experience dealing with Great Plains VARs, given the high number of new Microsoft Great Plains partners and their willingness to subcontract occasional customization, integration, and reporting projects. Here is an overview of the Subcontract of Microsoft solution partner:Customizations for Great Plains DexterityDexterity was Great Plains’ IDE and programming language, particularly for workstations with a thick interface. However, since Microsoft acquired Great Plains Software and rebranded it, Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions, Dexterity has been a candidate to be replaced by C# or VB.Net. The plans are the plans, but the realities of Microsoft Great Plains customization indicate that Dexterity will continue to be the IDE for another 5-7 years. However, I agree with not hiring a Dexterity programmer if you are a new GP reseller.Great Plains customizations DexterityDexterity was, and continues to be, Great Plains’ IDE and programming language, especially for workstations with a large interface. Dexterity has been a candidate to be replaced by C# or VB.Net since Microsoft acquired Great Plains Software and rebranded it Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions. The plans are the plans, but the realities of Microsoft Great Plains customization suggest Dexterity will be the IDE for another 5-7 years.eConnectThis MBS SDK, which was designed primarily for eCommerce developers, has several limitations, particularly when moving sales orders to invoices and publishing transactions. These are the limitations of the Great Plains design, and you’ll require a set of custom stored procedures to fix the problem. VAR should have some experience/skills with GP customization:Security model based on the Great PlainsYou can grant access to so-called alternate and modified alternate Microsoft Great Plains forms and reports in Great Plains; this is where our customization takes over standard logic. Please invest valuable resources in GP fundamentals before contacting a national subcontractor.Essential central reportTypically, you generate your unique Sales Order Processing (SOP) invoice form on one GP workstation before uploading your data to the server. If you hire IT, contractors, make sure they’re trained on setting up new Great Plains workstations (or insist on using a terminal server/Citrix).Remote assistanceVPN with remote desktop access is the optimum scenario (Windows XP Pro or Windows 2000 Pro). SQL Enterprise Manager will be able to connect over a secure VPN connection. Web session or PCAnywhere is a less desirable scenario. Good luck with the installation, customization, and integration, and do let us know if you have any questions or problems. Visit Microsoft solution partner official site for more information.